BORN AWARDS 2016 winners announced.

A Issey Miyake futuristic bag design, the sartorial brand Thomas Kerr, a Tag Heuer watch collaboration  with Google and Intel, and a stadium of lights are among the winners of this year’s Born Awards.

The winners were announced at the 6^th BORN AWARDS ceremony, organised in partnership with Land Rover, held at the L’ Apogee hotel in the ski resort of Courchevel, France.

BORN has emerged as a leading market network to finance design-led businesses with a community of backers who share a passion for design, whilst supporting and nurturing creative talent. 

The BORN AWARDS is a celebration of the most outstanding design and creativity from around the globe. Founded six years ago by entrepreneur Jean-Christophe Chopin, CEO of BORN, the 2016 awards programme was presided over by Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer of Land Rover. At the event, Land Rover celebrated the global launch of its new Evoque Convertible.

An exhibition showcase of all nominees has been on display since 12 March over a 12-day period in Courchevel.

Winners and runner-ups were announced in 11 separate categories and are listed  on the BORN AWARDS website. Click HERE for full details.

Sweetlime opens new shop in St Ives

So Sweetlime, a brand of unique and vibrant jewellery and accessories, has been lured to Cornwall and opened a new store in picturesque St. Ives.

Originally based in London, founder Elspeth Walker said her new lifestyle store, her first in the country, “reflects everything Sweetlime is about - travel, colour and a passion for adornment."

While she will continue on her globe-trotting mission to find something new, Elspeth said the Sweetlime collections will continue to evolve and grow. “We have expanded our brand and now stock homewares and gift items; together with our own collection of jewellery and bags, there will also be gifts and artwork from local artists.”

 

Shown here are some of the Sweetlime jewellery at a Best of Britannia show in London.

Having had worked in the fashion industry for many years, Elspeth set up a small studio in Highgate, London and began by assembling samples of her work and then targeted jewellery buyers at big stores as well as small boutiques.

 

All photos: Lucia Carpio

The name Sweetlime is based on a chilled drink made with fresh lime that she so often enjoyed in India (the recipe is found on her website and it is divine on a hot summer day).  “(The drink) was totally refreshing after a long flight and left a lasting impression,” Elspeth reminisced about her first trip to India to source local materials some 20 years ago.

A graduate from Edinburgh College of Art where she specialised in jewellery design and making, Elspeth had worked in New York in Manhattan’s fashion and jewellery district and gathered invaluable experience working with world-class designers before moving back to London to start her own jewellery business.

Drawing inspiration from her extensive travels within Europe; India and South East Asia, Elspeth's jewellery showcase her flair and creativity through an eclectic cultural mix of unique finds, featuring hand-made pieces, incorporating “materials and one-off designs that are out-of-the-ordinary". 

Elspeth invites visitors to meet her in her new St. Ives shop for “a unique shopping experience". 

The  address: Wills Lane, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1AF  

Amaryllis for Spring!

Support Fashion Revolution Day

Save the date 18-24 April 2016

Last year, in over 70 countries around the world, tens of thousands of people took part in Fashion Revolution Day and demand brands to be more transparent about where their clothes are made.

Join the Fashion Revolution.  

Support #whomademyclothes to show that we care and demand better for the people who make our clothes.

NEW FAIRTRADE TEXTILE STANDARD AND PROGRAMME TO PROTECT TEXTILE WORKERS

It has been almost three years since the deadly collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh; a tragedy that killed more than 1100 and injured 2500, and sparked demands for better protection for garment against dangerous working conditions and low pay.

Now Fairtrade has designed a new Textile Standard and Programme to tackle challenging working conditions by extending the Fairtrade approach to the entire textile supply chain. 

"By committing to Fairtrade, companies can now help improve the social and economic wellbeing of workers across the entire production chain," says Martin Hill, Interim CEO at Fairtrade International.

 The new standard is based on Fairtrade’s existing Hired Labour Standard and focuses on working conditions, living wages and workers’ rights, and is open to other sustainable fibres as well as cotton. It’s the first standard to require living wages to be paid within a set time period – six years - and brand owners will also be contractually responsible for fair and long-term purchasing practices - essential for implementing wage increases. Overall, the standard aims to empower factory workers and enable them to negotiate labour conditions independently.

According to Fairtrade, the new standard is the first step towards implementing a comprehensive Fairtrade Textile Programme to change textile supply chains and related business practices. The programme will be similar in concept to the producer services provided to farmers and workers, but will be specific to textile factories. Following an initial assessment, factories will be supported to meet the standard's requirements.

FLOCERT, the independent certification body for Fairtrade, will audit the textile companies. Workers in the textile industry participate in these audits through elected representatives who inform the workforce of the results. FLOCERT only uses auditors who are particularly familiar with the complex procedures in the textile production. "Our auditors are experts in their fields. They work together with the factory workers and management to come up with solutions to improve the workers' situation," says FLOCERT’S CEO Rüdiger Meyer.

Fairtrade is currently negotiating with interested companies and hopes to announce commitments soon. The standard is applicable from June 2016. "We’re inviting all textile companies to work together with their staff and with Fairtrade to create a fairer production process for textiles," says Martin Hill.  Once their entire supply chain has been certified in line with the Fairtrade Textile Standard, products will carry the Fairtrade Textile Production Mark. Product packaging will also indicate the brand’s progress towards achieving living wages in the product supply chain.

For further information on the Fairtrade Textile Standard, click HERE. 

Wearable art by Hayley Beckley

Award-winning jewellery designer Hayley Beckley chooses textile as the medium to express her creativity and to showcase art on the human body in a contemporary and wearable way. 

Each piece from her ‘Found in the Forest’ collection features silk that has been digitally printed with layered photographs of tree silhouettes against beautiful skies. 

The intricate prints are combined with delicate sterling silver embellishments.  

Uniquely hand-made by Hayley, who uses creative pattern drafting and precision sewing to produce the unisex collection of unique collars, cuffs and bow ties.

Having graduated from the prestigious Birmingham School of Jewellery in 2014 with a BA (hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing, she is an accomplished craftswoman she aims to create a body of work that combines art jewellery, couture fashion accessories and sustainable design as are demonstrated on the unique pieces shown here.

Hayley describes herself as “a compulsive maker, discoverer and dreamer who seeks to explore the unique narrative quality of wearable art and its interaction with the human form.”

Through her work, she attempts to narrate the importance of stories and communication; express a delight in and respect for the environment; and sensitively create positive connections to the world and the people around her.  

Hayley has worked as a freelance costume maker and designer for several years and continues to take on freelance projects alongside her work as a jewellery artist.  She is currently an Artist in Residence at Birmingham School of Jewellery working with current BA Jewellery Design & Related Products students.       Details on Hayley Beckley's designs are available on her website. Click HERE.

Photography and Styling: Hayley Beckley

Model: Amy Peace Buzzard

Make-up: Hazel Clarrie Baker       

Floral prints in bloom at Textile Forum and Premiere Vision Paris

Prints for apparel are no doubt one of the key trends this spring and beyond.

At Textile Forum in London last week, floral prints with a Japanese sensibility were in full bloom.

Nunoya

Barcelona-based distributor Nunoya specialises in quality Japanese fabrics and offered a wide selection of prints and designs from Kokka, a Japanese fabric producer with over 70 years of history.

 

Nunoya

Kokka’s designs include traditional Japanese floral prints, abstract, geometric and the more quirky fun designs perfect for children. Base fabrics include 100% cottons, cotton/linen mixes, polyester, polyester and knits.

Nunoya

Another Japanese company at the London fair was Yuwa Shoten which showcased

fine quality cotton, linen or linen mixed fabrics printed in Japan.  

Yuwa Shoten

The designs ranged from vintage floral and roses, in modern and retro style to novelty children’s designs.

Yuwa Shoten

McElroy Fabrics

Elsewhere from British company McElroy Fabrics of Derbyshire was a selection of feminine florals from their “Lady McElroy” luxury range.  The designs have a painterly style in delicate strokes and soft pastels.

McElroy Fabrics

Details on these suppliers and others are available on the Textile Forum website.  Click HERE.

In Paris last month, the Premiere Vision trade fair  offered vivid reinterpretations of nature for a wide selection of fabric bases, in particular botanical lushness, herbariums, fresh watercolour gardens and bouquets gave designers much food for thought.

The most popular all-over prints feature wildflowers and floral grounds scattered with birds.

The meeting of flora and fauna is also popular in more tropical variations, in which jungle foliage and flowers are populated with exotic animals.  The passion for plants is also notable in laces, with a selection of designs that are leafier rather than floral.

To see a  selection of the designs, click HERE.

Première Vision Paris had conducted a survey on “The Best”, gathered from interviewing buyers for their reaction to solid and decorative fabrics for spring summer 17.  The PV teams interviewed 291 exhibitors representing every specialty: high fancy, embroidery, laces, knits, prints, silks, shirting, tailoring, lining, tech, premium relax and high-end jeanswear.

The survey revealed several themes for Spring Summer 2017.  The most sought-after attribute was lightness across all sectors. The desire for naturalness is moving away from rusticity in favour of a dry feel; a blast of technicality works itself into everyday wear and the apparent simplicity of visuals evoke a fresh, tonic and refined spring summer 17.

Details on the Best survey are available on the Premiere Vision website.  Click HERE.

Photos: Lucia Carpio

Nottingham Trent University exhibit Costume Design Talent

What a uniquely memorable experience it was to see the mesmerizing "Akhnaten" by the English National Opera (ENO) at London Colliseum currently on until 18th March.

Phelim McDermott’s new staging of Akhnaten, together with the orchestral conductorship of  Karen Kamensek brought a new dimension to Philip Glass' music score.
While the performance, the stage production, the choral singing and troupe jugglers, the imagery and lighting were superb and all went so marvelously well, the costumes by Kevin Pollard were astonishingly beautiful.

One of the country's most established institutes to help educate and nurture young talent in costume design is Nottingham Trent University.

Photos: Lucia Carpio

Showcased at the Textile Forum in London last week was a selection of course work by students of the university.

The BA (Hons) Costume Design and Making course at Nottingham Trent University develops performance costume design and making skills at degree level.  Using traditional, technical and bespoke techniques, students create portfolios and costume outfits which support their career aspirations.  Final year students select two projects which demonstrate how they translate their creative design ideas into professional finished costumes for use in theatre, film, ballet, television, commercials, events, festivals, concerts and historical contexts.

The outfits shown in the photos here evidence skills in areas such as corsetry, historical pattern drafting, tailoring, millinery, wigs, costume props and fabric exploration.

The students' work will be exhibited as part of the University’s Degree Show Festival in June  which showcases student work across all NTU’s Art and Design courses.

THE CLASSIC CAR BOOT SALE, London King's Cross

The Classic Car Boot Sale returns to London on 16 - 17 April 2016 at Lewis Cubitt Square, King's Cross.  

It is the event for celebrating timeless design and future classics with 65 vintage traders, 20 designers/makers from Best of Britannia, two bespoke bars, one DJ bus, a massive collection of carefully curated young designers, designer-makers, up-cyclers, purveyors of vintage fashion, accessories and homewares,  street food vendors and over a hundred classic vehicles and bikes. Organisers say it is a family-friendly feast for the thousands of shoppers, collectors, vinyl lovers and petrol heads to get their teeth into. 

Celebrate International Women's Day!

Calming elegance!

Paintings of flowers by Chantal de Gaudio - the London-based artist of duo nationality (English/Italian) is showing at the Marylebone Hotel in London until 31st May 2016 

in conjunction with Rebecca Hossaack Gallery.

"My aim is to create art that moves and energetically inspires, giving one the feeling of being alive." - Chantal de Gaudio.

Photos: Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect Global.

Liberty’s new Chesham Cabinet Doll House project

The charity for supporting UK design graduates Texprint has announced that Liberty Art Fabrics has launched an inventive new interiors collection that pays homage to a great Texprint supporter, Anne Tyrrell, a member of the British Fashion Council advisory board and a key influencer in British fashion and interiors who died of pancreatic cancer a year ago.  The  project will also raise funds for Texprint.

From Grayson Perry to Sir Roger Moore, the new Chesham Cabinet collection of fabrics and wallpapers from Liberty has found inspiration in a spectacularly diverse selection of names and periods. And, to celebrate the launch, the design team at Liberty have created their own take on a traditional doll’s house, which displays all the designs in a playful miniature arrangement that has attracted plenty of media attention in recent weeks.

Later this year, the house will be auctioned off, with some of the proceeds destined for Texprint to support the next generation of designers.

To read about the interview with Emma Mawston, Head of Design, Liberty Fabrics, click HERE. 

Liberty and UNIQLO collaborate in new fashion line

Come March 18^th, Japanese retailer UNIQLO will unveil a new unique line that illustrates their latest collaboration with Liberty London, marrying over a hundred years of history with modern LifeWear philosophy - Simple made better.   UNIQLO call this new collection a brand new fashion hybrid perfect for the present.  The range includes allover-printed linen blouses,  T-shirts and tops, floral-fabric lined light down jackets, cropped legging trousers, culottes and shorts, for ladies, men and children.

The colourful photographs for the promotional campaign of this new range have been executed by the influential image-maker, Nick Knight, whom UNIQLO has referred to as “a pivotal figure in fashion photography for several decades”.

This new collaboration demonstrates that the quintessentially British brand, Liberty London is as relevant today as it has been through successive art movements in its 140-year history.

A selection of archive Liberty prints on show at the Fashion & Textiles Museum, London
during the Liberty in Fashion exhibition 2015.  Prints from the iconic London store archives, in particular its signature heritage florals, have fed inspiration to designers of all brands.Photo: Lucia Carpio

Liberty has been playing a key role in the world of fashion and textiles from Orientalism and Aesthetic dress in the 19th century, through the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements in early 20th century, and the revival of these styles since the 1950s. 

Liberty print fabrics on sale at the Fashion & Textile Museum shop.
Photo: Lucia Carpio

Prints from the iconic London store archives, in particular its signature heritage florals, have fed inspiration to designers of various brands and genres.

The Liberty Design Studio was established in the 1950s to produce and commission the best in patterned and woven textiles. 

During the years of the Swinging 60s, Liberty was working with designers (including Mary Quant, Foal and Tuffin and into the 1970s, Liberty prints were once again rediscovered by a new generation of designers, not just in London but also in Paris, including Yves St Laurent.

Liberty London collaboration with Nike.
Photo: Lucia Carpio

As Liberty’s collaborative relationships with designers, artists and stylists expanded from the 1990s, its distinctive prints and fabrics included a roll-call of British and international names from Cacharel, Vivienne Westwood and also the New York-based Anna Sui and Japanese designer Junya Watanabe, along with Kenzo and British brands Barbour, Harris Tweed, Dr.  Marten and sports brand Nike as shown above.

Sons rather than daughters are splashing out more on Mother’s Day gifts

God bless boys, you may hear your Mama say.  New research from market researchers at Mintel reveals Mummy’s boys lead Mother’s Day spending: Men spend £12.18 more than women on the occasion.

Flowers are popular choice for Mom on
Mother's Day.

With Mothering Sunday this weekend in the UK (Sunday 6th March), it seems it’s sons rather than daughters who will be splashing out on the occasion.  

Brits are estimated to have spent over half a billion (£510 million) on products for Mother’s Day in 2015.  For those purchasing Mother’s Day gifts last year, the average spend was £34.76 rising to £87.12 for Londoners. 

Overall 60% of Brits spent money for Mother’s Day last year and whilst almost one third (31%) of Brits bought cards, 29% bought flowers and 15% bought chocolate gifts. Brits are estimated to have spent over half a billion (£510 million) on products for Mother’s Day in 2015.

    

For men who spent money on the occasion, the average spend was £41.15, whilst the average spend for women was £28.97. Indeed, rather than preparing for the event, men are more likely to have bought on impulse. One quarter (24%) of men who bought gifts for Mother’s Day last year said they bought on impulse, compared to 18% of women.   Despite this, Mintel research shows that more women than men splashed out for Mother’s Day last year - 62% of women purchased gifts, compared to 57% of men.    

Nick Carroll, Retail Analyst at Mintel, said:    “Mother’s Day is one of the biggest events in the retail calendar, with the majority of Brits purchasing for the event.   The fact that men spend £12 more on the event than women is due in part to the fact that men are more likely to purchase gifts on impulse, pushing up the average spend.  Men with young children may also have to purchase mother’s day presents for both their own mother’s and their partners which additionally impacts the average spend.”

Cléo shows AW2016 silk scarves and accessories in Paris Premiere Classe

Cléo shows AW2016 silk scarves and accessories in Paris Premiere Classe

Cléo SS2016

London-based Cléo is participating in Premiere Classe in Paris this week (4 - 7 March) to showcase the new Autumn Winter 2016 collection of silk scarves and accessories.

Christopher Lam of Cléo Ferin Mercury says their A/W16 collection is all about the secret winter gardens; pretty beetles, beautiful butterflies, hidden gems amongst tropical flowers arranged together with intricate paisley designs.  Their new Look Book is presented in much the same way to showcase their beautiful designs to great effect. 

“We are very pleased to welcome a small range of faux fur scarves and collars,” said Christopher.  “These are available in three sizes and each piece is carefully hand crafted featuring Swarovski embellishments.”

The Cléo signature animal scarves also make a welcome return, available now in three sizes: large, small and mini, and come in different colours from vibrant neons to playful patterns too!

Here’s one of my favourites, the blue tiger long scarf that I had worn last season.

Their SS2016 collection, full of fun and with a nautical theme is currently available online.

To read more Scarf news of other labels, click HERE.

Aldi launches Fairtrade certified cotton T-shirts this March

 Aldi’s range of Fairtrade Cotton T-Shirts will be available in stores
from 3rd March, as part of the Ladies and Men’s Spring Fashion range. 

Discount store chain Aldi is offering a new range of Fairtrade certified cotton T-shirts in stores across the UK from 3 March 2016, while announcing its continuous commitment to sustainable sourcing

The new cotton range builds on existing Fairtrade commitments made by Aldi in 2011 to convert a range of bananas, coffee, tea, flowers and chocolate to Fairtrade in a programme that quickly rolled out to other Fairtrade markets such as Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Aldi PA India factory.

Jonathan Neale, Joint Managing Director for Corporate Buying at Aldi, comments:
“We’re proud to offer clothing that supports the Fairtrade project, which brings life changing development to communities by improving working and living conditions, education and health care.”

The Fairtrade Cotton Briefing provides a detailed overview of the cotton industry and its challenges, and explores why Fairtrade is needed and what it can achieve.

Aldi Photo. Agrocel, India ©Peter Caton

Cotton is grown in more than 100 countries, and plays a major role in the economic and social welfare of developing and newly industrialised countries. However, despite supplying the raw commodity that the multi-billion-dollar global clothing and textile industries depend on, growing cotton is failing to provide millions of poor rural households in developing countries with a sustainable and profitable livelihood. With high levels of illiteracy and limited land holdings, many cotton farmers live below the poverty line and are dependent on the middle men or ginners who buy their cotton, often at prices below the cost of production.

By offering Fairtrade cotton products, businesses contribute to a more sustainable future for cotton farmers, their communities and the environment.  Members of Agrocel hope to invest their Fairtrade Premium from Fairtrade sales in funding higher education for farmers’ children, upskilling women in local craft businesses and building a water, pesticide and carbon footprint database of individual farmers and using technology to share with brands.

Fairtrade Standards provide a framework for cotton farmers to form democratic organisations or strengthen existing organisations. This enables farmers to increase their negotiating power in the marketplace, improve business systems, access new markets, develop long-term trading partnerships and implement sustainable farming practices. Fairtrade Minimum Prices contribute to financial stability, while Fairtrade Premium can be invested in improving cotton quality and productivity, climate change adaptation and improving community welfare.